Easter on Corfu.....

This is one of my favourite periods on the island, especially when the weather is fine. Everything starts to spring into life, quite literally in the case of the flora, and more metaphorically in the case of the people preparing for the onslaught of the summer season and tourists.

Today is Palm Sunday, the start of ‘Holy Week’, traditionally celebrated around the world by processions of worshippers carrying palms to represent the branches strewn before Jesus on his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. 

Corfiots however have made it their own, by parading the holy body of Saint Spyridon (the islands patron saint) around town with much pomp and ceremony. 

It is a custom dating back to 1630, in memoriam of the relief of the island of the Plague, which, in 1629, had claimed many victims from the people of Corfu. All 15 philharmonic bands of the island take part in this procession which follows the trail of the old Venetian city walls. 

As ever on the island, particular foods are sacrosanct to the whole proceedings and at lunch people enjoy the traditional dish of the day: stackofisi or cod bianco with Skordalia (garlic-infused mash potatoes).

Good Monday to Thursday see the islanders shopping for the celebrations to come, cooking for the celebrations to come and in the case of the philharmonic bands, practising for the celebrations to come. On Maundy Thursday, the Service of the Holy Passion is held in the churches. In the Duomo, the Catholic Cathedral, 12 candles are lit and put out one at a time after the reading of each of the 12 Gospels. On the same day, the ringing of the first bell means it is time for the Easter eggs to be dyed red, a custom that symbolises the rebirth of life and nature. Unless you are under 12, in which case you did it last week at school, and your eggs are by now broken and in the bin after dying everything they touched an immovable, pale rouge to remind your mother what week it is.

 Good Friday sees procession mayhem; the processions of a representation of dead Jesus (epitaph) begin early in the afternoon, based on a strict programme which derives on old protocols. At 2:30 pm there is the procession from the church of Agios Nikolaos at Faliraki. At 4 o'clock it is the procession of the church of  Agios Georgios which begins from the Old Fortress and goes through the central roads of the town and the Liston alley. As time goes by, more and more processions come out and even meet at various points of the town, a cacophony of sound enveloping the entire area. How they manage to co-ordinate this extravaganza, given the general inability of the Greek people to agree on anything, amazes me yearly, but it’s damn impressive to watch.

Saturday starts off with yet another procession of the holy body of Saint Spyridon, the poor old soul must be exhausted by now. Established in 1550, when the Saint saved the island from famine it is accompanied by the famous philharmonic bands of the island, which likewise must have sore feet by this point.  At the same time there takes place the procession of the Epitaph of the church of Saint Spyridon, a custom which originates from the Venetian ages. The philharmonic bands play Calde Lacrime by Michelli, Hamlet by Faccio and Marcia Funebre from Beethoven's Eroica.

11.00 o’clock sees my particular favourite part of the whole performance, the pot smashing. Nothing can really describe the sights, sounds and atmosphere in Corfu Town at this point; it is a truly unique experience. It’s about 10 minutes of madness and mayhem. How there aren’t more injuries or fatalities is something only St Spyro himself can answer, as huge pots, made for this purpose, are hurled out of the highest windows of the majestic venetian buildings that epitomise the islands capital. 

I have heard several interpretations of this noisy yet spectacular habit, it possibly bears the influence of the Venetians who would throw old objects out of their window on New Year’s Day, so that the New Year would bring them lots of new things. It has been said it could be either a representation of the stoning of Judas Iscariot or the breaking open of Christ’s tomb.  Another, more likely, explanation is that the custom is of pagan origins. By smashing things and making loud noises the Ancient Greeks wanted to wake up Persephone, the goddess of spring, and accelerate the coming of spring. Whatever the origins, this sight definitely belongs on your ‘bucket list’.

At midnight hoards of people congregate to the central squares of Corfu town and villages, to celebrate The Resurrection. Visitors will find themselves surrounded by thousands of lit candles: on balconies, on window sills or held by others attending the ceremony. The Resurrection of Christ is celebrated at 12.00 sharp with drum beats and fireworks across the island, the most impressive display being in Corfu Town itself.

Easter Sunday itself is no time to be a vegetarian in Greece. Everywhere you go you will be assailed by the charcoal and herb laden aroma of lamb on the spit being prepared in every town, village and family home as the celebrations continue; on a less religious note perhaps after 40 days of fasting, but with equal fervour and gaiety.